


At the (Under)world's Edge

by AndroidTwin (LolaDiBlack)



Series: Headcanon me, Tumblr! [5]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Allusions to:, Apollo!Sam, Ares!Natasha, Demeter!Steve, Fury!Dottie, Hephaestus!Bruce, Hermes!Rhodey, M/M, Orpheus!Peter, Persephone!Tony, Steve is so dramatic, Thanatos!Peggy, The Howling Commandos as Cerberus, Zeus!Howard, hades!bucky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-09-22 04:08:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9582968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LolaDiBlack/pseuds/AndroidTwin
Summary: Tony, god of nothing really, ditches the Above on a whim; Bucky, King of the Dead, didn't ask for this.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DreamcatchersDaughter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamcatchersDaughter/gifts).



> Over in TumblrLand, DreamcatchersDaughter asked: But also Like Imagine Persephone Tony and son to Demeter Steve and Tony while mad for flowers growing bored of being seen as lesser to Steve. And then he finds Bucky and oh the god of the underworld is compelling and quiet, but firey ad sassy when provoked. Tony wants to spend all his time here and so he eats the Blueberries of the underworld and spits half out do guilt of Steves judgemental gaze. And Tony FEARED Queen of the World is just as amazing as Hades Tony okay.
> 
> I have delivered!

Being the child of two big gods? Sucks, a lot. His “sire” was too busy fucking everything that picked his hyperactive fancy and his father carried him along throughout the Harvest and the many festivals in his name. Tony was…bored, he was bored, bored, fucking absolutely bored and done with frolicking and dancing in fields. Tony, eternally seen as just the progeny of _him_ and Steve. Sucked!

Then, there’s a path of clarity and a half cocked plan, Pepper and Rhodey would disapprove but they knew of Tony’s willfulness, they _saw_  him and in the end that’s all he could ask for. Tony sees the god; the quiet, broody Lord of the Underworld about to leave the above and just like that his decision is made. Tony jumps on the moving chariot, surprising Bucky, and just a tad too late to do anything but take Tony down with him.

Bucky lets go of him once they have crossed the Styx, growling “Follow me.” Before moving through the endless halls.

Tony feels only a little bad for forcing himself on the god, but at least he wasn’t kicked back out after their arrival. Bucky points at things as they go along: “Don’t eat” or “Don’t touch” and “Don’t even think about dipping a toe in there.” Tony looks at everything, at the flowers and fruits and the massive 3 headed dog taking a nap in the middle of one of the hallways. “Dum Dum, Gabe, Falsworth. Move fellas.” 

Tony notices how they lazily open one eye and glower a bit as they scoot to the side. “This are your quarters, Peggy will fetch you for supper.”

Just like that, Tony is by himself in the realm of the Dead. He can’t help but smile.

He starts poking and prodding Bucky, who to the amusement of Peggy and the furies gave him the task of carrying the curses of the Living upon the souls of the Dead, since “They’re running behind  and you insist in wanting to _earn_  your food and lodge, whatever that means.” 

“It means that I don’t wanna be your kept god, just something pretty to look at, honeysuckle.”

Tony finds that he has a knack for it, Bucky hides his satisfaction behind his luscious locks. The first buds of belladonna sprout after Tony witnesses Bucky’s fiery disposition at news from the above. 

“I guess if Howard stopped thinking with his dick for a minute, half the issues wouldn’t be so.” He spits, sprawled on his throne as Peggy relays the list of complains. Bucky deadpans, “That’s on Natasha, she keeps fucking Bruce inside the volcano.”

After that first taste, Tony wants more, so he steals the god from his throne just to go for walks, weaves him flower wreaths and makes him wear them; the kicker? Bucky does, always with a small smile on his face. Everything was going swimmingly until Rumlow happened.

A rogue soul trying to escape his punishment by trying to derogate a god, with a list of curses the length of Tony’s arm and all around bastard. Tony had arrived in a flurry after Dottie screamed about her “Master” and “danger” her claws at ready to render anyone who stood in her way to pieces. Bucky, dressed in his black chiton and nothing else, as he grappled with Rumlow at the edge of the Lethe. “Look at you, my _King_.” Taunted Rumlow, “Desperate to find Steve and Howard’s little bastard. Brought to your knees by a powerless god.”

“Bucky!” Tony panted, struck by terror as he noticed a shard of his sire’s bolt in Rumlow’s hand. “Watch out!”

The King stumbled and almost took a dip in the river of forgetfulness for his slight, only the bottom of his chiton getting wet at last moment when he turned, falling onto one knee and kicking out his other leg, striking Rumlow and making the soul lose the shard.

Before Bucky could do much else, or the furies could close in on the dead man, Tony strode over and stepped on his chest. Rumlow’s eyes full of hatred and contempt. “You think I’m the only soul here that’s willing use you to get him?”

Tony smile was sharp as Natasha’s sword. He had seen them all hiding in the shadows, waiting for their moment. Titans have tried and failed miserably before them, what makes them think…

“No, but I’ll make an example out of you.” Tony whistled and threw Rumlow at Dum Dum’s head. “Don’t chew him up, I’ve got plans for him.”

Tony without an ounce of hesitation, grabbed the dead warrior’s robes and said, “I really, really hate when other’s touch what’s mine. And Bucky. Is. _Mine_.” Afterwards, he cheerily waved at a screaming Rumlow from the shore of the river of pain.

No god, goddess or mortal had elicit such kind of vicious reaction from Tony before, not even Pepper and Rhodey. The young god strides into Bucky’s chambers and finds him undoing his robes. “Bucky…do you-”

“Are you alright, Tony?” 

“Oh sweet nectar!” Tony sighs as he moves towards Bucky, touching the naked chest like a worshiper and feeling the ripple of a shiver under his fingertips. Tony raised his gaze to find Bucky looking at him with the same enrapture. “Bucky?”

“That was very foolish thing you did, Tony.” Bucky whispers, as his fingers curve around Tony’s nape.

“What, drag Rumlow to the Acheron?” Tony asks, hands up Bucky’s shoulder and around his waist. “I couldn’t let him escape punishment, that’s my designated area.”

The rumbling of Bucky’s chuckle makes Tony’s body heat up. “Hijacking my chariot, coming home with me, seeing me.”

Tony’s smile is equal parts impish and shy. “Just like you see me. You see me, right, Bucky?”

When Bucky kisses him, Tony feels aflame, as if he’d gotten too close to Sam but it doesn’t hurt at all and his skin is buzzing. Tony pulls at Bucky’s chiton until it finally falls away, leaving Bucky completely naked for Tony to see. He moans in appreciation at the sight; no words could describe the King of the Dead, no words could do him justice.

“Like what you see, godling?” Bucky voice nothing but smooth heady murmur that echoed through Tony. 

Instead of wasting words, Tony used his mouth to paint Bucky with marks and kisses, to moan and grunt as they devoured each other in the best possible way. 

Much later as they laid sated, Tony weaved buds of the flowers that sprouted from their union into Bucky’s hair. “What would the damned say about their Lord wearing flowers in his hair?”

“Maybe their Lord should remind the damned who weaved the flowers into his locks.” Bucky’s answer was to laugh against Tony’s shoulder.

He proudly wore his hair full of forget-me-nots from then on. The Underworld’s oppressive atmosphere seem to weigh less in Tony’s company; his “Queen” was ruthless in the best way, dragging from the shadowed corners those who’d conspired to overthrow his ruling and delivering swift, just and merciless punishment, and pulling him away from his work when Bucky became consumed by it. 

Tony was sitting in Bucky’s lap, sharing ambrosia and kisses with his husband when Steve stormed into the throne room. They have talked about this just once before, about the inevitability of Tony’s return to the above: “ _Do you want me to leave?!” - “Tony, I know your father. He must be tearing the above looking for you.”- “That is not an answer to my question; Do_ you _want me to return above?”- “No! Tony, I don’t want you to leave._ Ever.”- “ _That’s settled then.”_

The fierce anger in Steve’s body was warring with relief and something akin to disapproval. “Bucky.”

“Steve.”

Tony sighed and stood, facing his father, every bit of Ruler, husband and god into his posture. “Father.”

“How could you be this irresponsible, Bucky? Bringing my child to consort with the dead.” Steve’s voice is like a slap to the face, the disappointment booms. “Do you get how worried I was when couldn’t find him? When my summons went unanswered, do you?!”

“It’ll be best if we have a calm talk…” 

“We won’t talk about anything!” Steve shouts, which makes Tony grind his teeth. “Tony and I will return above and the order of things will be restored.”

“Why? Because you say so or because _he_  does?” Tony’s voice is colder than the Underworld’s temp, but Bucky sees him: the slight tremble of vulnerability on the tip of his fingers. “Because you want your powerless godling with you or because _he_ is trying to pull my strings? Why, father?!”

Steve’s momentary silence is taken in the worse way possible, Tony quick as a heartbeat grabs a fistful of blueberries, eyes incandescent as he puts them in his mouth and starts to swallow.

“Mortals are dying!” Steve reacts, and moves forward, trying to stop his son from becoming a permanent tenant among the dead. “You were gone and I couldn’t find you…the cold had frozen the crops and the world above is dying.”

Bucky loves Steve, they used to be close as brothers before Bucky had become a King below and Steve’s life above got too busy to catch up. The thing is, Bucky knows what Steve is not saying: “You are throwing a tantrum and neglecting your duties. That’s what’s happening, Stevie!”

Tony eats a few more berries and there’s a part of Bucky wants him to stop chaining himself to this place. “He was gone! My child, gone from my side like never before. I’ve scouted the Earth, going as far as the edges of the North.”

“Nothing new is blossoming, nothing is sprouting from the ground or the trees. The beasts have gone to sleep and the mortals are dying be it from starvation or this manifestation of my grief.”

There’s a mouthful left and Tony looks ill at the sadness in his father’s voice, sick at the prospect of being guilty of his father’s pain. “Then I hear whispers of the Lord of the Underworld wearing flowers in his hair and his savage “Queen” that agreed to let a crafty mortal take his lover back to the above. I know my son’s work when I see it.” His father looked worse than Bucky did when he first arrived and the god was nothing but a brooding work automaton. “Tony…”

Tony’s shoulders slump slightly and spits the quite delicious berries. This was the parent he _did_ love, and apparently his powers laid in the fruits and flowers of the above, who knew? His husband, his beautiful love, looked defeated but resigned and that wouldn’t do at all. Walking into Bucky’s space, Tony pulled the locks gently and weaved him a lovely crown of forget-me-nots while peppering his face with kisses.

“I’ll come back.” Tony promised, voice thick with emotion. “I’ll always come back home to you.” 

Bucky just nodded, laying a kiss on his hair, down his forehead to the tip of his nose and lastly his lips. “I’ll be waiting. We will miss you.”

“And I, you.” He confessed, the words etched into Bucky’s mouth like a prayer for only them. 

They turned to find Steve trying his best to give them some privacy, his ears were flushed but Steve was the god of Harvest and Fertility so he wasn’t easily–Bucky’s eyes cut to where Steve gaze wanders every few moments, where Peggy is sitting sifting through her list…Oh. _Oh!_

He nudges Tony to look at them and going by the smile on his husband’s face, Bucky bets the Underworld is about the get another unlikely pair. He can’t wait!


End file.
